Mirror Image
by StarfallGalaxy
Summary: "Never fall in love. Promise me you'll never fall in lo…"


**A/N: Was going to be something completely different, then took a hard left turn. Oh well...**

"Mem...brane…"

The female's antennae smoothed down, the curls resting against her back as her gold eyes took in his sleek form. Why was this tightness becoming more prominent the longer she stayed here? She rubbed her claws together, feeling a slight twinge in her body that was also becoming more troublesome. She waited by the window for him to come, wrapped up in his white coat. Was this what worry felt like?

He'd been so mysterious that night, appearing out of nowhere to save her like all of those stories Vortians like to be told. Erin (as he called her) smiled, recalling his reaction to her naked body. Humans were so silly about those kinds of things! And when he tried to fix her damaged PAK, 'cursing' when he burnt his finger. Her translator broken, she had to start on his language from scratch and yet… yet hearing a non-filtered version of his voice was wonderful. All of those exotic noises while he was in recharge!

She jumped out of her revere when she heard the screech of car tires as his car pulled up, running in and slamming the door as the 'paparazzi' followed him in their various vehicles. Comical humans, they were, this 'paparazzi'. All shouts and flashy lights, ready to screech at Membrane for whatever he had done to receive such a punishment. She thought that maybe they had something similar on Irk but it was so scrambled, the Before. It gave her a headache to even try to think back that far. Better to focus on the here and now, on her human.

"Erin!"

She jumped, turning to his azure eyes. They were narrowed, worried over her thin form as if he had had a terrible one of those 'nightmares' he talked about.

"Are…you alright, Erin?" His hand had been stretched out to her, but lowered slowly with the question.

The young man, far from being admired by girls until recently, felt his face burn as she faced him, green skin showing through the gap in the coat. He really needed to teach her what panties and modesty were…

"Yes, I am al-right. Erin wanted to know why the men outside wanted Mem-brane," She pointed outside, already knowing that she shouldn't be speaking in the third person but helpless to stop it. "Is it because of mysterious wife-thing they were speaking of on the news?"

Her human jumped and ran his fingers through his hair, a sweet gesture she learned was very pleasurable to him. Like fingers on lekku.

"Um...kinda. See, I accidentally let it slip that I maybe, sorta, kinda talked to myself about… you? I, um, kinda said that I..."

He pulled his collar over his mouth, a sign he was 'upset', averting his eyes from her gold gaze. She tilted her head, antennae perking up more. Her lekku picked up signs of distress, a certain type of cold that she only felt from him, that made her think that he could be Irken if he really tried. He'd be better at it than her, anyway.

"Mem-brane is upset. Why?"

He shook his head, then started to back away, "Nevermind."

Her PAK legs shot out, grabbing the startled human before tugging him back to her until their bodies were flush together. She had one more method to deal with this: the 'flirting'. Without hesitation, she ran her claws up his shirt and felt his heartbeat start to jolt. She smirked, rather liking the sound of fear. Irkens were predators, after all. Her prey just happened to be bigger than her.

Membrane was getting flashes of the last time she did this to him, both loving and hating that this was happening again. Curiosity was one thing, but he was sure that his heart couldn't take much more of this constant barrage of loving words and actions from something inhuman. Sure, human praise was one thing but when he had her with him, it was almost as if she had a key that unlocked all of his doors. He had finally started to feel something, something that made him happy.

Membrane had started to fall for her…

… despite knowing was wrong.

Zim cuddled up to the slim form of his rival, his molten magenta eyes daring Membrane to say something about how unhealthy this was again. Dib grunted, wrapping his good arm around the small Irken's chest. The other was in a cast, resting on Dib's chest.

Stupid human…

Zim watched as his PAK replayed the days events, the hostile Irkens coming at him again to delete his data and Dib shoving him out of the way. Loyal to Zim, he said, to Zim alone. Zim grasped the human's arm closer, pressing his face against it. Memories of the past summer came to mind, including the time they had to follow that 'vampire' into the club with their fake IDs and him clinging to Dib's arm. Or that giant fall off a building, right after reading that book of a hero getting kisses from one he had saved. Dib looked happy when Zim did so, all dark red with a stupid grin on his face.

Sweet human...

A shot rang out as he saw him…

… Hit the ground, she hit the ground.

His daughter was asleep, unaware she had lost her mother just moments before but Dib, his oldest, did know. He felt the perfect mix of Irken and human sobbing into his chest, watching as the hybrid choked on his own saliva and tears. This could have been prevented. If only he hadn't fallen in love with a machine!

Because that's all she was, a heartless machine!

A heartless machine that was there for him when he was alone, who spoke to him in that intimate way he used to only dream about. Well, he'd protect Dib from that pain. He'd show him what love would get him, Gaz would learn it, too. Love was useless, distracting, love would chew them up and spit them out and leave them with only rot. It wasn't better to have loved and lost. Those who didn't love never ended up with broken hearts…

"Why'd they bury Mommy?! Why did they put her in the ground?! She has stuff to do!"

Membrane at a loss for words, only able to pull his collar up to this moth and mumble to, "Never fall in love. Promise me you'll never fall in lo…

...ve you, Zim."


End file.
